The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-04-16

Present Time.
Somewhere between 1870 and 1740, at
least 40 years before the commencement of
the Revolution, settlements began to be
made in this part of the Province of Mary
land. The country was nearly all covered
with timber and of course the labor of
clearing it up to make homes for the set
tiers and their families was very great, so
much so that We in this day can scarcely
form a conception of the severe trials they
had to undergo In the beginning the
progress of population and improvement
was very slow, the comforts of life were
unknown, even the commonest necessaries
of life were difficult to be had. Mills were
rare and stores still more so. And then
they had the elements to contend against
with very Indifferent shelter in log cabins
hastily erected. As far as have been
enabled to learn they dwelt in comparative
security from the inroads of the Indians
who had retired across the South Noun
tain into the Cumberland Valley. On
this subject l will make the following ex-
tract from letter from DIR. Jacob Shower,
who had been asked for such information
as he had in his possession: "There is one
fact, would mention of the early history
of this vicinity, which is probably known
by only few PERSONS, and which is worthy
of perpetuating. A remnant of Indians
numbering about 60 or 20 resided within
less than mile of Manchester, partly on
land hold, up to the year of 1850 or
l751, probably the last aJorigines aoho re-
sided an Baltimore County. After many
efforts to ascertain to what tribe they be-
longed, could only arrive at the suppose
ton that they were of the "Susquehan-
nocks."
"At that period without any connection
or apparent preparation for the event, they
all, except two, disappeared during the
night. The two exceptions were the Chief
called Macanappy and his wife, both being
very old and infrm. They survived the
departure of their friends only few days.
This information ] received when very
young from the old settlers, but mainly
from nv grand mother whose father re-
sided only small distance from their
grounds. She was in almost daily inter
course with them, and spent with them the
greater part of the day preceding their de-
parture."
"On account of similarity of names, the
query often presented itself to my mind
may not this little tribe have found its way
into Florida, and the celebrated Florida
Chief called Miconopy, who years after
;gave the United States so much trouble, be
IA descendant of this old Chief"
About the same period, 1870 to 1740,
6txto aorliar satflamoptc haoau 70 he
made in York county, then embracing what
is now Adams county, by persons who left
Lancaster, Berks and chester counties, Pa.
The western section OF York county, in
Guiding the region around Gettysburg, was
called 0the Marsh Greek Settlement" made
up almost exclusively of Scotch Irish, many
of whom came over into Emmitsburg and
Taneytown Districts, where some of their
descendants are. now living. The western
section of the present York county, inclu-
ding the Conowago region and the section
around Hanover, was settled almost entire
ly by Germans, and many of them came
over into this county and settled principal
ly in Manchester and Myers Districts,
where numbers of their descendants now
live. Some few Friends or Quakers came
over from Chester county, Pa, and settled
on Little Pipe Greek, where their descen-
dants are now to be found, living on the
fat of the land. The early emigrants to
the Southern portion Of our county were
from the older counties on the Western
Shore-St. Mary's, Prince Georges and
Anne Arundel.
The long dispute which existed about the
line between the Provinces of Maryland and
Pennsylvania, gave thesettlers nour North
ern borders great deal Of trouble The
proprietary of Maryland claimed strip of
Is or miles wide over the present line, and
John Diggs obtained Maryland grant of
$500 acres about Hanover. Chas. Carroll
obtaiaed large Maryland grant about Fair
field or Millerstown, and the tract now
goes by the name of the Carroll Tract.
Hanover, then called McAllisterstown, or
Kallisterstown, and being within the dis
puted territory, became sort of refuge for
disorderly characters, and from that cif-
cumstanee was called "Rogues Harbor.
On the final adjustment of the difficulty
between the two great proprietOrs, by the
running and marking of the line by Mason
and Dixon, Penn became the ack nowledged
owner, and the settlers became mere nu-
merous, the country began to be cleared up,
tolerably good farm buildings were erected
and the population began to multiply.
There is SO little reverence among us for
the homes of ancestry, and such long
period has elapsed since the foundation Of
eomNupities and families, that it is difficult
to trace the early history of the pioneers of
our wilderness, but we have been furnished
with one exception, and that is the history
of the Shriver family, prepared by Judge
Shriver, from which we learn that David
Shriver, the grandfather of the Older
branches now living, purchased tract of
land on Little Pipe Creek, about the year
1760 although the sketch, which is other
wise so precise, does not state the time),
where he erected small mill aud tannery
Mr.. David Shriver was prominent man
In his day, having represented Frederick
county in the convention called to form a
constitution for the State of Maryland in
1916, and for number of years represent
ed the same county in the Senate and House
of Delegates Col. Joshua Gist was AN
early settler and an active partisan 10 the
Revolutionary war. Col. Gist, together
with Henry r. War6eld, Of Sans Greek,
was elected to the House of Delegates spe-
cially for the purpose of having Frederick
county divided into election districts for
The convenience Of the people, who had to
vi the way to Frederick t, Vote, crossing
)IoDocacy* Afterwards Joshua
Key became prominent politician in
E end of Frederick county, aud repre-
,knted the county in the Senate and House
/of Delegates. Isaac Shriver also repre-
scented the county several times. VIM. P.
Farquhar and John Fisher were also men,
bers of the House of Delegates. John c.
Cuckey was also an elector of Senate and
@During the administration of John Adams,
near the clts,. of Inc last century an excise |